1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dynamic bidirectional optical network. In particular, the present invention relates to a metro-access optical network.
2. Summary of the Invention
The present invention illustrates a time- and wavelength-shifted bidirectional optical network in which an optical signal(s) of a wavelength(s) is propagated. This wavelength(s) may be fixed, dynamically or statistically assigned. This optical signal(s) may carry service or content (for example, voice, video and data) from a headend to a subscriber (for example, home or business).
According to one embodiment, the optical signal(s) of a particular wavelength (“incoming/downstream optical signal”) is time-shifted at a subscriber (i.e., time delayed with respect to the incoming/downstream optical signal(s) from the headend), and reflected/sent back as a return/upstream optical signal(s) from the subscriber to the headend either having the same or slightly shifted wavelength with respect to the wavelength of the incoming/downstream optical signal. Such a time- or wavelength-shifted dynamic bidirectional optical network may be configured in a tree, a ring, or a star topology.
The present invention is better understood upon consideration with the accompanying drawings.